Both portable and stationary above-ground swimming pools typically are used with a portable filter pump to clean the swimming pool water. Existing filter pumps generally employ an air purge valve to discharge excess air from the pumping system after the filter is cleaned or replaced or when the system is first initialized. The air purge valve is frequently, though not necessarily, located on the filter pump cover.
A major problem with existing air purge valves is that the valve stem is not interconnected with the pump in a manner that prevents it from being easily separated from the pump. Without any connecting device, the air purge valve stem may be inadvertently removed completely from the pump when opening the valve to release excess air. When this happens, it is normally difficult to screw the valve stem back in due to high water pressure within the pump, making it necessary to reopen the filter pump container in order to reinsert the valve stem. In turn, this requires that the air purge process be repeated before the pump is restarted, resulting in inconvenience for the pump user. Complete removal of the valve stem also increases the likelihood of valve stem loss or breakage.
What has been needed, therefore, is an air purge valve for filter pump products that is designed so that the valve stem is not easily removed from the pump when the valve is opened. What has further been needed is a filter pump cover having an air purge valve with an interconnected valve stem that is not easily removable when the valve is opened.